Francisco Cordova
Encyclopedia
Francisco Córdova is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed
starting pitcher
who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
from - and who is currently (2011) playing in the Mexican Triple-A League for the Petroleros de Minatitlán
.
as an amateur free agent
. He made his major league debut on April 2, 1996. The following year, on July 12, , at a sold out Three Rivers Stadium
, he pitched nine innings of a combined 10-inning no-hitter
for the Pirates. Ricardo Rincón
pitched the 10th inning. The Pirates won the game on a dramatic three-run, pinch hit
home run
in the bottom of the 10th by Mark Smith. This game pitched by Córdova and Rincón is recognized as the only combined, extra-inning no-hitter in modern MLB history and is the last no-hitter in Pirates history to date. Córdova would go on the post an 11-8 record that season. He would post a 9-12 record in , to go with a 3.31 ERA
. His career was shorted by arm troubles, and he retired after the 2000 season with a 42-47 record.
Cordova now pitches in his native Mexico
with the Petroleros de Minatitlán
. In , he went 1-3 with a 4.46 ERA with the Quintana Roo Tigres.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
from - and who is currently (2011) playing in the Mexican Triple-A League for the Petroleros de Minatitlán
Petroleros de Minatitlán
The Petroleros de Minatitlán are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League. Their homefield is the Parque 18 de marzo de 1938 in Minatitlán, Veracruz....
.
Career
On January 18, 1996, Córdova was signed by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He made his major league debut on April 2, 1996. The following year, on July 12, , at a sold out Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
, he pitched nine innings of a combined 10-inning no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
for the Pirates. Ricardo Rincón
Ricardo Rincón
Ricardo Rincón Espinoza was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Rincón was a left-handed specialist who spent nearly his entire career as a middle reliever and setup pitcher. In his 10-year career, Rincón never started a game and only accumulated 21 saves...
pitched the 10th inning. The Pirates won the game on a dramatic three-run, pinch hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in the bottom of the 10th by Mark Smith. This game pitched by Córdova and Rincón is recognized as the only combined, extra-inning no-hitter in modern MLB history and is the last no-hitter in Pirates history to date. Córdova would go on the post an 11-8 record that season. He would post a 9-12 record in , to go with a 3.31 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. His career was shorted by arm troubles, and he retired after the 2000 season with a 42-47 record.
Cordova now pitches in his native Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with the Petroleros de Minatitlán
Petroleros de Minatitlán
The Petroleros de Minatitlán are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League. Their homefield is the Parque 18 de marzo de 1938 in Minatitlán, Veracruz....
. In , he went 1-3 with a 4.46 ERA with the Quintana Roo Tigres.